This follows on from this article: Heavy Keto and Life Stress Got Me More Stressed
After recognising that deep keto alone wasn’t shifting my stress, I tested a slight refeed: 30g of clean carbs on keto at night. A peach here, some squash or salad there. Combined with my usual 5:30 PM OMAD meal, Nurosym, electrolytes, early wind-down, and breathwork, the shift was measurable.
Sleep scores rebounded (mid 80s), HRV climbed into the 30s, and stress scores trended downward. But it wasn’t enough to fully resolve the tension. The pattern repeated: I’d feel better, but not fully restored. My neck headaches still lingered. Sleep architecture was better—but deep and REM were inconsistent. Some nights I’d spike ketones and HRV would dip, or glucose would stay a little elevated even with no carbs late.
I learned that 30g of carbs on keto, though helpful, may not always fully shift a stressed system—especially when CNS stress and past injury flare-ups are in the mix. For my physiology, that level of carb intake was often just enough to help, but not enough to truly reset. Sometimes, it’s a long road if you’re trying to rewire the nervous system while staying ketogenic.
Want to optimize your metabolism and reduce stress? Learn how strategic carb intake can improve your metabolic flexibility and support stress recovery.